Northern Lights
by onbrokenfeet
Summary: Christmas is only three days away in Arendelle and Elsa is planning something big. What could it be? No one knows, not even Anna. However, the princess will figure it out no matter what.
1. Queen for a Day

AN : Hey guys! First Frozen story and I'm really excited to see what everyone thinks! A bit of a slow start but I'm hoping to follow up with a bit of odd romance between my new favorite sisters!

A pin could drop in the castle and the sound would carry to every ear in every hall.

A majority of the staff was given the morning off. Those who were working had found comfy chairs to sleep in and warm fireplaces to lay by. Why? Well, Queen Elsa was out making arrangements for Christmas. Secret arrangements. So secret, she'd hidden herself away in the North Mountains. No one knew why exactly. They only knew she was preparing something big.

This had left Anna to sleep until whatever hour she pleased. The sun was already high in Arendelle. Most of the townspeople had been up since the sun had first risen. Anna, however was a tangled mess of hair and drool. Her cheek was practically nonexistent against her pillows. Her legs most likely seemed broken the way they were sprawled. Her blankets topped her human pretzel off with a fluffy, deformed frosting.

Her eyelashes just barely moved. Slowly they pulled themselves apart. One blink, two. Her mind was still processing the normal motions of sitting up when suddenly it sank in. It was three days before Christmas. Only three. Meaning it was Elsa's day out. Meaning...

She pulled her limbs together and rolled herself off her bed. With one quick motion, her feet slammed against the wood floors. She stretched her muscles as a grin grew across her drool covered lips.

"The whole castle to myself," she whispered, giggling.

She had a lot of time to herself as a young girl. A lot. Most of the time it was just her and Joan. However, since Elsa had come back around, she was always in good company. She loved it more than anything. Today, however, was a special kind of alone. It was a whole castle for her to run in, for her to sing at the top of her lungs in, to leave pastries on whatever table she wanted. Most importantly, there was something she'd wanted to do more than anything.

She kept her pajamas on but buttoned the top button. She didn't even attempt to brush the lopsided knot her hair had become. She only created the pitter-patter of bare toes hitting the staircases. She slid into the kitchen, looking around for any sign of the cook. After she found no one she pilfered an entire tray of rasperry-filled pasteries. She then made her way through the grand hall, singing Christmas carols as loudly as her throat would allow.

Servents chuckled in their individual hiding places. They knew precisely what she was up to. No one would stop her. Not because she was the princess. But because they knew exactly where she was headed. She reached a large door. It was bigger than most in the castle. She pulled its handle gently and peeked her head inside.

"Hello?" she called. No one.

She smiled as she crept inside, closing the door behind her. This was the throne room. It was where Elsa did most of her work. It was where she spoke with townspeople, where she spoke to other rulers. It was where she made laws, listened to bargains. Anna could practically see Elsa sitting in the throne. The younger sister could just see the Queen, sitting proper but slowly leaning to the side. Putting her hand up to her cheek and moving her fingers just slightly against her own skin. The way Elsa's eyes would blink more slowly between each word she heard. The way her eyebrows would curve.

Elsa did a lot of thinking in this room. Anna, however would do some playing.

Anna smiled a wide smile as she shook her hips back and forth, readying herself to sit. She plopped down in the throne, turning herself to stretch out across the arms. She had her legs over one arm and her back against the other. She sat the pastries on her belly. She took a deep breath into her nose.

"Southern Isles? Treaty?" she scoffed. "Send him to the dungeons!" She flicked her hand before giggling. The room was absolutely empty, to most people she'd have seemed mad. To anyone who knew her, she was simply being Anna.

"Servent!" She tried to keep a serious face but blew air through her nose, nearly laughing. "See to it that eigthy thousand snowmen are built in Queen Elsa's honor!"

She kicked her legs back and forth, giggling once more. She stuffed a few bites worth of a pastry into her cheeks before speaking again, jelly dripping from her lip.

"I wonder what else Elsa does," Anna said curiously. "Oh! Commander!" she said excitedly. "Lets invade Corona tomorrow! Merry Christmas to them, huh?"

The empty room showed no applause to her comedic act. She, however, was having the time of her life. She always loved her sister. While a lot of Elsa's work was boring and filled with paperwork that kept her at her desk for several hours, Anna loved watching her work. Every time Elsa was in that throne, she wondered what it felt like. What it was like deciding the fate of an entire population. It sounded scary yet thrilling. Thus bringing her here to an empty room. Sitting in the throne, bossing around imaginary servents and starting pretend wars.

Anna nearly opened her mouth when something else opened first. The door creaked open just a tad. A small figure waddled through the space. Anna squinted before seeing a small cloud come to light. Olaf was underneath it, smiling a wide smile.

"Olaf!" Anna smiled. "You scared me."

"What? No way, you scared us," Olaf said.

"Us?" Anna gulped.

"Yeah, I was helping Elsa in the mountains then we came here and we heard you talking to yourself through the door," he said, waddling closer. "We thought you went crazy," he whispered, moving one of his twigs in a circular motion around the side of his head.

"Wait, Elsa is with you?"

"Yeah-huh, outside the door right now! Eavesdropping," Olaf said. "But, I wasn't supposed to tell you that," he whispered.

A taller figure pushed the door open wide. Elsa stood with her hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised.

"Elsa!" Anna said half-excited and half-terrified. Elsa began striding across the floor and Anna bit her bottom lip.

"I thought you were going to be gone all morning," Anna said quietly.

"I was gone all morning, it's 3'oclock in the afternoon," Elsa said.

"Oh," Anna said, staring at the ceiling.

"And you know," Elsa rolled her tongue against her cheek. Anna spun her legs to sit up straight, nearly sending her pastries flying. "You really shouldn't be starting wars with Corona, they're our only source of seafood right now," Elsa said, finally cracking a smile. "I'll accept my eigth thousand snowmen, though."

"Eighty thousand," Anna corrected, giggling.

"Eighty thousand? Where will we put them all?" Elsa asked.

"Oh! Oh!" Olaf shot a twig in the air. "They can all stay with me! Oh I'll have brothers and sisters and we can all enjoy summer! I'll name one Flounder, oh, and I'll name another Flynn, oh! oh! One can be Lilo."

Anna and Elsa only chuckled at him. "So what have you been doing all day besides starting wars and giving orders?"

"Oh, important stuff, very important," Anna nodded reassuringly.

"And Snowlaf, and we'll name four of them Jeffrey," Olaf continued, ignoring them just as they did him.

"You slept all day, didn't you?" Elsa asked.

"Yeahhh," Anna admitted.

"Thought so," Elsa chuckled.

"Pastry?" Anna asked, holding one, plump one towards her.

"No thank you, Queen Anna," Elsa said, smirking.

"Well then, servent, I bid you farewell," Anna said, closing her eyes and sticking her nose up. She peeked one eye open to see Elsa turning away.

"If you're going to be like that, I won't show you what I have planned for Christmas," Elsa teased. Anna jumped up, sitting her pastries on the floor. She darted over to Elsa, grabbing the girl's arm.

"Wait! No! I wanna know!"

Elsa looked to Olaf who still sat pondering names for his eighty thousand imaginary brothers and sisters. She winked at him and he just turned his head at her.

"Olaf," Elsa said gently.

"Yes?" Olaf said, standing up straight and putting his twig to his forehead in salute.

"Could you give Anna and I a moment alone, please?" the Queen asked.

"Sure! I have to add to my igloo so everyone has a bathroom and a bedroom and a canoe for summer tiiiiime," Olaf listed as he toddled out the door.

"So what's happening for Christmas?" Anna asked excitedly. Her bottom lip feeling slight pressure from her teeth.

"Well," Elsa started.

"Yeah? Yeah?!" Anna shook with excitement.

"It's a surprise," Elsa said, watching the younger girl's face fall.

"Aw!" Anna pouted, crossing her arms. "No fair."

Elsa walked past the younger girl, making a beeline for her throne. "I just wanted you out of my throne," Elsa teased again. Anna immediately turned around, nearly knocking Elsa over. The two nudged and pushed at each other, wrestling rough enough to pick on each other but gentle enough for no one to get hurt. Elsa ended up winning with an unfair patch of ice on the floor. Anna, however, settled for second place by plopping herself in Elsa's lap.

Anna's body returned to the way it was before, legs over one arm, but now back against Elsa's arm. The sisters giggled and poked at one another until they calmed down just a tad.

"You have jelly on your lip, your majesty," Elsa joked.

"Oh?" Anna said, nearly going cross eyed to see what she couldn't see regardless.

Elsa put her hand up to the younger's face, her palm around Anna's cheek. Her thumb brushed off the rasperry jelly.

"You have such lovely eyes," Anna said softly.

"What?" Elsa's eyebrows arched.

"I said," Anna cleared her throat nervously. "You have such lovely eyes."

"Thank you," Elsa said, caught slightly off guard.

Anna rested her forehead against the queen's. She passed her nose against the older sister's. Elsa wrapped her arms around the younger girl, holding her close. Anna relaxed, letting her body fall into Elsa's, her face burrowed in the queen's neck.

"Are you going to sleep the rest of the day away?" Elsa asked.

"Only if I can do it here," Anna yawned.

"Of course," Elsa said, her voice growing softer.

"You don't have important stuff to do?" Anna asked.

"It can wait," Elsa said, her own eyes starting to flutter.

"I love you, Els," Anna said.

"I love you too," Elsa said.

The sisters drifted off. Slowly, it seemed, flurries began to drift from the ceiling down to them. Little flakes of snow danced in the hall. It was a scene normally only seen in snowglobes. Here in Andrelle, though, this simply meant the queen was happy. Elsa did have mountains of work, preperations for Christmas, treaties, deals, she had a thousand things she could do. Her biggest weakness had plopped down in her lap, though. So, for now, the kingdom could wait.


	2. Autumn Wishes

When they were kids, knocking wasn't even a concept. Little toes in little socks would tip-toe into Elsa's room and jump all over her bed. Little whispers would tell her it was time to play. It was time to build a snowman, after all.

This time, it was Elsa that laid awake. The sky was awake, so she was awake. She laid in her overly enormous bed wrapped loosely in light blue sheets and blankets. She was thinking about autumn. Not the season, though. The colors. The colors that rested in Anna's hair. Anna's hair was autumn and her eyes changed with the other seasons. Elsa wondered what kind of emotions those poor eyes had held. All those years on the other side of the door.

This was Elsa's first thought most days. Her first thoughts were guilt. Her first thoughts were of creases and bags under green eyes. The way Anna held herself together somehow. She faced so much all on her own and Elsa didn't even lift a frosted finger tip to help.

She sighed into the empty air, a few snowflakes drifting in her breath. That's when she got an idea. She glanced over to the corner of her room where a little igloo stuck to the wall. Inside was Olaf, fast asleep. An eternal cloud above both him and his small home. Elsa thought for a second before closing her eyes and waving her hand. She opened them again and waited, anticipated. At first, nothing. She sighed again.

That's when a noise came.

Knock, knock.

The taps were so light Elsa thought maybe she was just imagining things.

"Elsa?" A voice called through the wood softly. Elsa rolled over, pretending to be asleep. She closed her eyes and wrapped herself even tighter in a cocoon of blankets. She soon heard creaking, her door cracked open just a tad, letting a sliver of light from the hall torches in. It then shut again with a light thud.

Soon there was a weight just behind her. A hand shook her arm.

"Elsa?" the voice said again, just a bit louder this time.

"Mmrhmhm?" Elsa faked a tired grumble.

"Elsa," Anna said, a bit stern. The younger sister now crawled closer, one arm and one leg over the girl, straddling her. "I know you're not asleep, you big goof."

Elsa rolled on her back now, looking up at her sister.

"Okay, okay, you got me," Elsa smiled.

"I think you got me," Anna corrected, pointing at the snow flurries in her hair.

"Oh, is it snowing in your part of the castle? I heard the snow in your hall is really pretty this time of year," Elsa smirked.

"Ha-ha," Anna mocked. Elsa nearly frowned. Anna noticed and tried to change her tone. "I just thought maybe you were upset," Anna said. Elsa knew she couldn't lie to her. Elsa was upset, she just didn't want to throw out an apology for such a touchy subject. She'd already apologized a thousand times in little ways. She just didn't have real words for it yet.

"It was a bit of payback," Elsa spoke a slight truth, at least. "For all those times when we were kids."

Anna giggled through groggy eyes. As the sun rose just a bit higher, her face was becoming more and more clear. When it hit her eyes, Elsa stared in awe.

"What are you looking at, frost-bite?" Anna teased.

"Autumn," Elsa replied.

"Autumn?" Anna scratched her head. "It's almost Christmas, jeez, has all that time in the mountains recently messed with your sanity?"

"No," Elsa laughed. "Your hair, it's like autumn. Your eyes change color with the other seasons."

"Oh," Anna blushed, bringing sun-burn with summer. "Well, you're not just winter, you know." Anna puffed out her chest, trying to be suave but obviously failing.

"Oh yeah?" Elsa raised a brow.

"Yeah, I mean..." Anna looked outside. "You're winter too but you're something a lot bigger."

"Bigger?" Elsa asked.

"Like, space bigger," Anna nodded.

"Am I the moon?" Elsa asked.

"No, bigger," Anna nodded. "Well," she thought. "Not quite bigger, a collection of little things that's kind of a big thing."

"I believe you missed your cue for your punchline a few moments ago, dear," Elsa teased.

"See this?" Anna asked, brushing her fingers through Elsa's long locks. Elsa only nodded quietly. "It's all of the shooting stars, this is where they landed. All the wishes in the world came to you."

Elsa's eyes began to tear up, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I wish I could grant them all," Elsa sighed.

"Mine came true," Anna said.

"It did?"

Anna nodded. "I used to wish every night that you'd come out and build a snowman with me," Anna said. "Then Olaf tumbled along and I knew that even though you were upset, just for a second, you though of me. Your memory built him, Elsa."

Elsa's head rolled to look over at the igloo and the softly snoring snowman.

"Now you're back," Anna smiled, her own eyes tearing up. She leaned down to kiss Elsa on the cheek.

"I'm sorry," Elsa said softly, her throat clenching. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Anna replied. She leaned down to kiss the older sister on the cheek again before laying by her side, wrapping her arms around her. "You're here now."

"I always will be."

xA few hours later...x

Long after the princess and the queen were awoken from their warm embrace, Anna was wandering the halls with Kristoff. He had been nice enough to drop by and see her every so often. She knew exactly what triggered it. Even on warmer days, it'd snow just before he showed up. Elsa's calling card for someone to take care of the younger sister. Anna would let her believe that she had no idea about it. After all, it was sweet.

"You know, you are really quiet today," Kristoff said. "And way too smiley, what's with the smiling?"

"I'm just happy, I guess," Anna said.

"You guess?" Kristoff asked.

"Yeah," Anna said, thinking harder than before.

"Alright, who is it," Kristoff rolled his eyes.

"What?" Anna nearly jumped, feeling she'd been found out.

"You have a crush on someone, you're not getting married tomorrow are you?"

"No! What? Me?! No!" Anna waved her hands defensively.

"Anna," Kristoff said dryly, stopping in the middle of the hall. "Let me ask you a question."

"Okay, shoot," Anna nodded.

"This Christmas thing your sister is doing, whatever it is she's been making so much noise in the mountains with. Alright, say you show up and everyone's there and they're ice skating and dancing. Everyone's having a grand old time, alright. You're there and someone comes up to you, grabs your hand, and asks you for a dance. Who do you want it to be?"

Anna was far off in dreamland with his story. So far off, she didn't watch her own mouth. "Elsa," she eased out of her lips.

"Huh?" Kristoff turned his head to the side. Anna smacked her palm against her mouth.

"Oh no," Anna gasped.

"Okay," Kristoff shrugged.

"You're okay with it?" Anna asked. "I mean, is it normal?"

"I wouldn't say normal," Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not even sure what it is, entirely. But whatever you're feeling, you seem pretty happy with it, that's all that matters, right?"

"I don't think she feels the same," Anna sighed. "She couldn't. This is probably a one in a million thing and I'm the one in this million."

"I don't know about that," Kristoff tried to perk up a smile. "Most of your stories involve Elsa, most of your time is spent with her, you have to be just as important to her. Why don't you talk to her about it?"

"Are you nuts?! Hi Elsa, How are you? I have a weird crush on you and wanted to know if you feel the same way," Anna mocked.

Clank! Anna and Kristoff turned to see one Olaf with his head on backwards. Kristoff rolled his eyes before fixing the poor snowman.

"Thanks!" Olaf said happily.

"What happened to you?" Anna asked.

"A servent accidentally tossed me out the window while cleaning your room of all that weird snow," Olaf explained. "I still haven't found my nose," Olaf said, petting his own face.

"Oh, why don't we help you look for it?" Anna asked, looking to Kristoff.

"Yeah," Kristoff nodded.

"No! We have to do that other thing first," Olaf nodded happily.

"What do we have to do?" Anna asked, confused. Olaf had already turned and begun running down the hall.

"We have to tell Elsa about your feelings!"

Kristoff and Anna both looked at each other in fear before darting down the hall after him. Olaf made it around two corners and the others followed.

"Olaf! Don't! Elsa can't know yet!"

"Of course she can!" Olaf cheered.

"No! Olaf! Stop it right now! Elsa cant-," Kristoff was stopped midsentence as they turned the next corner. Olaf had his entire front smashed in as he had slammed into something - or- someone, really.

Elsa stood with her hands on her hips, eyeing up Kristoff and Anna. There was a carrot in one of her hands.

"Queen Elsa," Kristoff bowed nervously. Anna only wiggled her fingers.

"Her berberber!" which probably meant 'Hi Elsa!' in smashed-face speak from Olaf.

"I was on my way back from checking on the incoming trades when I found Olaf's nose in one of our fountains," Elsa said, handing the carrot to the snowman as he reassembled himself.

"What's this secret you're hiding?" Elsa asked.

"It's not important, really," Kristoff said. Anna's lips were glued shut. Her heart was racing and her ribs were aching trying to keep up with her breathing.

"It sounds important," Elsa said.

"We were going to wait until Christmas to tell you, you know, the big party and all," Kristoff nodded, looking at the petrified Anna.

"May as well tell me now."

This is when Anna finally decided to speak.

"Kristoff and I are getting married!" Anna shouted, immediately, again, shoving her palm over her lips.

"What?!" Kristoff and Elsa both shot the girl looks of confusion.

"Congratulations!" Olaf threw his sticks in the air.

"But wait, I thought you had a crush on," Olaf started but Kristoff kicked his head a clear 20 feet down the corridor. Elsa took a few steps backwards, staring at the ground like it had answers for her.

"I-" Elsa's lip bobbed. "I better go, you two, you have my blessing," Elsa nodded, unsure of what she was saying. The queen turned and strode away as fast as she could. Kristoff crossed his arms, raising his eyebrows and looking at Anna.

"Really?" He said.

"I didn't know what else to tell her," Anna sighed.

"You got your answer at least," Kristoff said.

"I did?"

"Mhm," the man pointed his thumb out the window down the hall. Hail began to fall and harsh winds were knocking against the glass. This weather was not the weather that asked a friend to keep a sibling company. This weather was a queen torn to shreads at the core.

"Elsa," Anna sighed. "I better get up there."

"No," Kristoff grabbed her by the shoulder. "I have a plan."

"Is it better than mine?"

"Hopefully. Queen Elsa has a Christmas surprise for Arendelle. We'll have one for her in exchange."

To be continued


	3. Into the Woods

A/N : Thanks for the kind reviews and favorites and follows! You're all lovely! This chapter brings a heart to heart with Elsa and Kristoff. More Elsanna when you tune in next time, I promise!

The walk to Kristoff's wasn't exactly a fun adventure.

The entire trip had been spent being pelted with hail and sleet. Winds howled against their frost-bitten ears as their lips trembled. Anna had bundled herself up before they left, but all the winter clothes she owned couldn't have prepared her for Elsa's emotions.

Kristoff's home was small but fit him perfectly. It was made of stone and tilted just a tad to the side. His brand new sled was covered in ice. Sven was inside, his nostrils pressed against the glass of the front window.

"I'm coming, buddy," Kristoff assured him. The man tugged the wooden door open to reveal a quaint space. It had a hand woven rug in the center of the wood floors. A stone fire place blazed on the opposide wall. Sven sat in a hand made wooden chair that was placed next to a small table.

Sven turned his head and wiggled his nub of a tail.

"Sven," Kristoff said, shutting the door behind the princess. "Anna is staying the night with us tonight, so be on your best behavior."

Sven only turned his head, looking unamused. "I'm always on my best behavior, you be on yours," Kristoff said in a deep, goofy voice.

"Hey, now, no arguing, it's nearly Christmas," Anna said.

"She's right, you know," Kristoff said on Sven's behalf. "Yeah, she is," he agreed with the reindeer.

"So," Anna said, sitting on the floor and beginning to pull her boots off. "What's this plan of yours?"

"You brought your dress, right?" Kristoff asked. Anna nodded, pulling a burlap sack off her shoulder and letting it hit the floor.

"Alright, we've got a little over a day to get ready for the party and it looks like we're not going anywhere til then," Kristoff said, looking out at the current storm. They both sat in front of the fireplace, Sven joining behind them. Kristoff began explaining what he had in mind and together they worked out the details. It was perfect but Anna was still so scared.

Every detail ran through her mind that night. Mostly everything that could go wrong. Kristoff had been a gentleman and let her sleep in his cot. He slept with Sven on the floor in front of the fire. Anna sat up, staring out the window. She could see the castle off in the distance through what was left coming down from the storm. She could imagine Elsa all alone, hurt.

As much as Elsa had left her to suffer, she never blamed her. She never once blamed Elsa for her pain. She wished Elsa would have been there. But at the same time she knew Elsa ached just as badly as she did.

And now Elsa ached again. Not only was Anna not there to comfort her, but she was the cause.

Guilt overwhelmed her but as the storm finally died, she knew Elsa had finally fallen asleep. Anna decided to lay back and attempt sleep herself. She laid on her side, arm stretched in front of her, pretending a weeping Elsa was calm in her arms.

x The Next Morning x

Kristoff felt a nudge at his back. He groaned, keeping his eyes shut and waving his hand for whatever it was to go away. Sven whined in annoyance before nudging him again.

"I'll feed you later," Kristoff said. Sven nudged him again. Kristoff finally rolled over to have the sun beaming in his eyes. He squinted, putting his hand out in front of him.

"What is it?" Kristoff asked. Sven's neck seemed to twitch, pointing toward the window. Kristoff sat up, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He could see small flurries drifting along the pane. He let out a huge sigh, looking through the open doorway to see Anna fast asleep.

"I'm not going," Kristoff shook his head and crossed his arms. Sven snorted at him, nearly blowing snot into his face.

"But Kristoff, the queen is summoning you,!" Kristoff spoke for Sven.

"I'm just the royal ice harvester," Kristoff argued. "I'm not the royal fix all the weird family problems I shouldn't be the middle of guy."

"It's Christmas eve, no one should be heartbroken on Christmas eve," Kristoff argued for Sven.

Sven nodded, the man always knew just what to say for him. Kristoff nearly argued back but was stopped by the sound of knocking on his door.

"Go see who it is," Kristoff said. "If it's the queen, tell her I'm sick, no, dying with the plague."

Sven looked at him with an unapproving stare before turning, placing his hooves on the table. He rose himself to look out the window.

"It's her, isn't it?" Kristoff asked. Sven nodded, turning around to look at Kristoff with a concerned look. Kristoff sighed before standing, walking over to the door. He took a deep breath before opening it. Elsa stood outside, her spine straight and proper. Her chin was high and she looked as proper as ever.

"Is this how you collect taxes now? Making your own house calls?" Kristoff asked, deciding to open with a joke. Elsa smiled before shaking her head.

"No," Elsa said softly.

"Well, Anna is asleep, if you want to deal with the beast called morning-Anna, be my guest but-" Kristoff stopped when Elsa raised a hand.

"I wanted to speak to you and since you didn't seem to get my message," Elsa said, gesturing at the snow. "I figured I'd drop by."

Kristoff thought for a second, looking over at the sleeping red-head. Sven nudged at his back and he knew there was no going back now.

"Sven and I needed to collect firewood anyhow, I guess we can chat," he said. "Let me grab my boots." Elsa nodded. He turned and quietly slid his boots and gloves on.

"You get me in a lot of trouble, you know that?" Kristoff whispered to Sven. In his mind he imagined Sven saying, "They're your friends," but that was an argument he'd pick back up later. They joined Elsa outside and Kristoff locked the door. He looked around at the trees and the two or three inches of snow on the ground. He grabbed his trusty ax up that was laying next to the door frame and swung it over his shoulder.

"Shall we discuss whatever this is then?" Kristoff asked.

"I suppose so," Elsa said, looking down. Kristoff lead the way farther into the woods, he eyed up a few smaller trees before beginning to swing his ax. Sven began searching the ground for any twigs left untouched by the storm.

Elsa cleared her throat. "You and my sister are fully welcome to stay with me in the castle," she said, her hands tumbling to keep up with her words. She spoke quickly and nervously, breaking her normal behavior. "We can clear a stable for Sven and your sled, we'll make accomidations for when you have children."

Sven's head shot up, looking to Kristoff who had now dropped his ax in shock.

"Woah, woah, Elsa," Kristoff put his hands up in defense. "That's really kind of you, but it's not necessary."

"Kristoff, you're a great friend and a wonderful person, I'm glad Anna chose someone like you," Elsa pleaded.

"But she didn't!" Kristoff threw his hands up. Sven let out a loud snort as even the reindeer knew the secret was blown.

"What?" Elsa's head tilted.

"Oh," Kristoff cleared his throat. "Oh," he repeated, dreading giving an explanation.

"Kristoff, what's going on?" Elsa stepped closer. "And don't lie to me."

"All I can say is that your sister has a secret, she didn't know how to tell you and she panicked. I can't tell you what it is, you're going to have to wait until your party," Kristoff said. He picked up his ax and swung it clear through the last bit of the tree. It fell with a light thud into the snow.

"What kind of secret?" Elsa asked.

"A secret secret," Kristoff said. "Now for me partially blowing Anna's secret, I need you to tell me something."

"Fair enough," Elsa agreed. Sven trotted toward them proudly with a bundle of sticks in his mouth, dropping them in a pile covered in slobber.

"How do you feel about Anna?" Kristoff asked, picking up Sven's findings and putting them in a satchel. He slung the satchel over one shoulder before putting the tip of the trunk of his slain tree over his other.

"I love her," Elsa said. "She's my sister."

"Yeah," Kristoff said in agreement, beginning to tug the tree toward his home. "But have you felt anything odd recently?"

"Odd?" Elsa asked, slowly starting to blush.

"You're smart, Elsa. You know what I mean, don't play games."

"When we were little we were just best friends, close sisters. All that time apart, though. We don't feel like sisters anymore, we feel like," Elsa paused, looking for the right word.

"Something else?" Kristoff looked over at her.

"Why are you asking about this?" Elsa asked, dodging his question perfectly.

"Anna has a lot of fond stories about you," Kristoff said. "Maybe I just noticed you two getting closer, a lot closer."

"That doesn't imply," Elsa began but quickly stopped. As they neared Kristoff's home again, she could hear a sleepy Anna calling for the man.

"Good morning!" Kristoff called. Anna came around the edge of the house, waving at him. As she walked closer, Kristoff looked over, realizing Elsa wasn't to be seen. In her place he saw a perfectly round snowman. It was about human height, no arms or face. He chuckled to himself.

"See?" Kristoff said to the snowman. "Smart."

Anna neared him, looking positively corpse-like.

"Rough night of sleep?" Kristoff asked.

"Yeah," Anna yawned, rubbing her eyes. She quickly turned her face into a bright smile as she always did. "I just miss Elsa, I guess. I hope she's okay."

"Aww, old frost-bite can take care of herself," Kristoff laughed. He felt a large pile of snow fall on his head from a branch above. He knew that somewhere in that snowman, Elsa was grinning to herself. He shook his hair out before smiling.

"And I'm sure Elsa misses you too," he said.

"I want to go see her," Anna said, looking down.

"You will tomorrow," Kristoff reassured her.

"True, I don't want to ruin the surprise after all!" She spoke excitedly but Kristoff only let his palm smack his forehead.

"Lets just get inside," Kristoff said.

"Alright!" Anna turned, skipping away.

"I'll be right in!" Kristoff called.

He looked over to the snowman which still stood silent.

"All she ever talks about is you," he said softly. He looked over toward the house. "I'd bet my new sled that every night Olaf hears stories about her too."

He began to walk away. "See you tomorrow!" He called behind him. As he walked away, the snowman began to melt. Elsa stood, watching his and the reindeer's shadow disappear. She waved quietly, knowing they wouldn't see her.

She wasn't the only one that was smart. Kristoff was right. Every night, Olaf would curl up in his igloo and ask about Elsa's day.

For every day that Kristoff heard stories of Elsa, there were many more nights where Olaf heard stories of nothing but Anna.


	4. The Sky, The lights, The sisters

It was obvious why she'd been hiding away.

All of Arendelle and a majority of the neighboring kingdoms had come to see what Elsa had been working so hard on. Christmas morning had arrived and the party guests covered the bridge and flooded the town. A thin blanket of snow covered most of the land and little flurries still drifted through the air.

Kristoff and Sven had managed to make their way to the front of the crowd. The palace gates had been closed as Elsa finished her decorating over night. Everyone waited on the edge of their toes, most gossipped, others complained that they had so many other parties they could have gone to. None of them wanted to miss this though.

At exactly 11 o'clock the sound of trumpets boomed from inside the gates. The guards took that as their cue to pull the doors to crack just a tad. Two dozen men made of ice marched out in single file line before dividing. Each of them lined up around the edges of the bridge. They were a clear blue color with large noses and even bigger hats. Kristoff stared at them a moment before realizing what they were.

"Nutcrackers," Kristoff smiled, nodding. "She's got crafstman skills, I'll give her that," he said to Sven who snorted in agreement.

The nutcrackers' ice boots hit the ground hard as they met their positions. They all gave a formal salute before one guard stood in front of all the guests. He cleard his throat before calling out, "Queen Elsa welcomes her guests and wishes them all a Merry Christmas!"

At his nod, the guards opened the gates wide. They revealed a courtyard that looked nothing like a courtyard anymore. As Kristoff and Sven followed the surprisingly calm crowd, they couldn't tell where to look. Half the court had been turned to an ice-skating rink surrounded in fluffy snow. The other half was a dance floor with hand made white rugs covered in enormous teal snowflakes. The dance floor was accompanied by a band of snowmen playing Christmas carols. One was sitting at a piano, one had a trumpet, and one had a saxaphone. All made of ice, too.

There were nutcrackers just like the ones outside, only these had trays and trays of finger foods just ready to be served. The royals and guests around them each seemed to immediately find their place. Fathers skating with their children. Mothers keeping an eye on them all. Couples dancing to the snowman band. Sisters and brothers getting into snowball fights. Kristoff only looked up at the biggest thing in the room. There were two ice sculptures that were at least 70 feet tall. The one on the side of the dance floor was a sculpture of Elsa. The one beside the ice rink was a sculpture of Anna.

"She got herself looking grumpy and she has Anna smiling away," Kristoff laughed to Sven. "Old frost-bite has them both spot on."

"Hey buddy," he heard a voice say. He looked to his left, seeing no one, to his right, alone again.

"Down here, idiot," the voice said. He looked down to see a small girl. She had what seemed to be candy canes sticking from black hair. She only seemed to be dressed in a light green hoodie and some kind of odd blue pants. Even he had brought his best tunic. He arched his eyebrows and stared at her.

"Kinda lame the queen didn't show up to her own party, huh?" The girl stuck her tongue out.

"I'm sure Queen Elsa is busy," Kristoff said, so distracted by all the decorations he hadn't even noticed Elsa wasn't around.

"Yeah, well, when I plan a royal party, I'll show up, you and your moose-thing should come," the girl said.

"You're royal?"

"Yeah-huh," the girl nodded. "We're still working out the whole queen thing," she whispered, leaning in close. "Name's Vanellope, anyway, you have fun with your moose-thing, I'm gonna snag some of those lollipops. If you see the queen, tell her her party is lame."

"Yeah, I'll do that," Kristoff said, drifting away from the conversation. He stared up at the dozens of strings of christmas lights surrounding the castle. His eyes traced the windows until he saw her. Elsa, hiding behind the curtains, watching over everyone. Kristoff lifted a hand, waving at her. She immediately shot back into her room.

He looked over to Sven who already seemed to be judging him.

"I have to go up there, don't I?" Kristoff sighed. He could imagine the reindeer saying something about it being Christmas and about their surprise being absolutely ruined. Kristoff rolled his eyes before grabbing Sven's reins and pulling him toward the castle.

"Halt!" The two guards in front of the door called.

"What? It's me, Kristoff, royal ice harvester, Anna's best friend," Kristoff listed off his 'notable titles.'

"Queen's orders, no one is allowed inside, even you," one guard said.

"Why do I have a feeling she mentioned me by name?"

The guards looked at one another, realizing they'd been caught. "The queen will be down shortly," the first said.

"Yes, well, I need to see her now," Kristoff said.

"Why?"

"Her sister is coming with a special surprise for her and I'd hate for her to miss it," Kristoff shook his head, turning around, ready to walk away. "But, if you want to be the ones to ruin Christmas for the princess, I guess I can just go," he said, his shoulders slumping.

"Wait!" The first guard panicked. "We'll let you in, but please keep in mind that Queen Elsa has been troubled and we wouldn't want her troubled any further."

"Trust me, I know," Kristoff said, leading Sven into the slightly open doors.

The castle was entirely quiet. Most of the staff was outside tending to guests. The kitchen staff were the only ones rushing around but they were far enough that he couldn't hear a peep. Kristoff couldn't help but notice their Christmas tree, after all, it was right in the middle of the great hall. It was enormous, must have been the biggest tree in the forest. It was covered in a light blanket of snow and ornaments of every shape and size. He stepped closer, looking at a few oddly shaped ones.

He brushed his fingers against the one, realizing it was a painted seashell. It was painted pure white with an odd blue shape in the middle. It had 'Anna - Age 6' painted on the back in small, red letters. Another one had a more defined blue shape painted in the center, it was marked 'Anna - Age 7'. They seemed to get more and more defined until finally he reached one from the year before. A pretty blue snowflake was painted in the middle.

"To Elsa, from Anna," Kristoff read aloud. "She painted her one every year."

He glanced over to see a shining ornament dangling from a bright red ribbon. It was made of what nearly seemed like glass but upon touching it, it was as cold as well, ice. It was a perfect replica of Olaf. On the bottom it read, "To Anna, love, Elsa."

"Do you think she'll like it?" A voice echoed from behind him. He jumped, sending the ornament flying through the air. Elsa quickly shot a hand out, letting the ornament hit a pile of soft snow.

"Ohh, that was close," Kristoff wiped his forehead. Elsa leaned down, picking up the ornament and hanging it gently back on its branch.

"Do you?" Elsa ignored him.

"She'll love it," Kristoff nodded. "But the question here is why aren't you outside? You've got ice sculptures and skating and snow everyhwere. You're the only one not enjoying it."

Elsa looked down before turning to face the doors. She stepped over to the window, placing her hand to the frosted glass, staring out at the party. Kristoff and Sven looked at each other before following her, looking over her shoulder.

"Where's Anna?" Elsa asked.

"She's coming," Kristoff assured her.

Elsa turned to face him, her face a mixture of concern and worry.

"Is she alright? Have I done something wrong?"

"No! No, she just had to do some last minute stuff," Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck, looking to Sven for some assistance. The reindeer shook his head before stepping forward and licking Elsa's cheek. She smiled, petting the animal on the nose. Just in time, the palace door opened, one of the guards peeked inside.

"Queen Elsa, Princess Anna has arrived," he said.

"Thank you." The queen nodded and the guard shut the door again.

"Ready to make your big appearance?" Kristoff smiled.

"I don't have a choice," Elsa chuckled nervously. Kristoff tugged the large door open, gesturing for her to go first. She took a deep breath in through her nose, standing straight. Sven nudged at her back and she stepped outside. The courtyard was filled to the brim with people, but Elsa stood out. Not just as queen and not just because of her beautiful silver hair. But the dress she was wearing was the prettiest, brightest blue. The sky must have envied the shade she was wearing. It hung low at the top, as most of her dresses did. Showing off her shoulders. It fell all the way to the floor, creating a loose cone at her feet, what seemed to be icecicles swirled all the way around her dress. It looked like silk but with a bit more shine.

Anna had certainly noticed, standing at the bottom of the steps, staring up at her sister. She had a wide smile and a bit of a spaced out grin. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Her dress was a light green in her mid and upper sections. The green dwindled down into a color that was a mix of purple and red. It was a simple dress but elegant and topped with Christmas colors. A Poinsetta's leaves were tucked into her bun for that little extra touch.

"Elsa," Anna said, running up the stairs. Elsa only had a few seconds before impact. The younger sister nearly took them both to the ground, smacking into the queen and hugging her tightly.

"Anna," Elsa sighed in relief. Anna leaned back, keeping her hands at Elsa's waist.

"I've missed you," Anna said.

"I've missed you too."

Kristoff cleared his throat, breaking the sisters up.

"We have a few hours until sundown," Kristoff said to Anna. "I'll leave you two alone until then."

Sven nodded though his tongue was stuck to a frozen column. After a group effort of getting him off without much pain, Kristoff seemed to fade into the crowd. Anna and Elsa had plenty of time to sit alone and awkwardly stare at each other. Elsa had sat down on one of the higher stairs, Anna sitting right beside her.

"Shouldn't you be visiting your guests?" Anna asked.

"I should," Elsa agreed. "But they can wait."

"Oh," Anna said, feeling her cheeks start to match the red in her dress. "Well, I'm sorry, that I lied to you about me and Kristoff," she said nervously. "You know, on the spot, trying not to ruin a secret, things kind of happen."

"Well, whoever it is," Elsa said softly. "I hope they treat you well. If not, I can always freeze them or batter them with hale." Anna giggled.

"They're perfect," Anna assured her with a small smile. The princess then rested her head on Elsa's shoulder, scooting closer.

"More perfect than your last fiancee?" Elsa teased.

"Hey, everyone makes mistakes," Anna defended. "I don't think this one is though."

Elsa stared down, looking at Anna's fingers. They were so close, so close to intertwining. Elsa bit her lip and restrained herself. Anna was in love and whoever it was, Elsa would try to be happy for her. Elsa always did. Elsa listened to every word that was said through her door. Elsa always wondered what Anna looked like through the years. She wondered how she was growing, who she was becoming. Then one day this beautiful young woman was standing beside her. And though it was done with the best intentions, she held so much guilt for every snowman she never helped build.

- A few hours later -

The sisters eventually pried themselves from their seats. Anna had been pushed onto the ice rink with a few of the children. Elsa had been asked to dance by numorous suitors she had no interest in. They were both being forced into small talk and awkward conversations with people they didn't know. Luckily, sunset came quickly and just as Elsa was being dragged into a discussion about economies, Anna spoke up.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" The princess called. She got no reply. "H-hello? Everyone?" She tried to speak up. Still nothing. Elsa looked over, seeing the princess start to lose her footing. The queen asked to be excused before wandering toward her sister. Kristoff beat her there.

"Everybody quiet!" The man shouted. Everyone immediately quieted down, looking over at the pair. Elsa stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at them.

"Thanks," Anna whispered to Kristoff.

"Anytime," Kristoff smiled, stepping down.

"I have something special to share with you all," Anna said happily. "I'd like to present a special gift to my sister Elsa."

Everyone began clapping softly as the gates opened just a smidge. People felt something brush past their ankles, women felt something at the edge of their dresses. The sun dropped entirely and small rocks had rolled themselves up the stairs, eight of them sitting in a line on either side of Anna. The rocks began to tremble and soon they morphed. Trolls had sprung from their forms and everyone stared in wonder.

"Phew, that was a long trip, my neck is stiff as ever," one of the trolls said.

"Lets get this show on the road!" Another said.

Anna smiled, extending a hand to Elsa. The queen strode up the stairs, looking out at everyone in the crowd. She stood beside her sister, just as confused as everyone else. The trolls lifted their hands toward the sky and began to hum.

"On this day of magical snow and ice, we bring forth a gift given from those in the sky, to those down below, and from those ancestors it was given to the elders, from those elders, to the young children, from the young children we were formed through the years. We show this gift now to bring forth a bond that will last longer than the earth, longer than the sky, longer than the stars. The bond of love," one elder spoke with a raspy voice. The trolls then shut their eyes and began to chant in a language that was long since dead.

The crowd turned away one by one, seeing something up in the sky. First a light began to shimmer, to most it may have seemed like a hallucination. But then it shined brighter, a light green streak that didn't seem to begin nor end in either horizon. It was soon accompanied by a teal streak, then purple, then more colors in between. The lights waved and bent, they cast a shine over Arendelle. Most kingdoms had fireworks, this kingdom had the magic of the ancients, the Northern Lights.

Elsa stared in awe before looking over to her sister. Her eyes had an entire coat of various shines.

"You did this for me?" Elsa asked.

"It was Kristoff's idea, I just helped plan the little details," Anna explained.

"Thank you, it's beautiful," Elsa smiled.

"You're gonna miss the best part," Anna said, pointing. The waves of color started to flex and bend. Soon they created the outline of two small girls, sitting beside one another. One replicating a young Elsa, the other a young Anna. The lights morphed to show them building a small snowman of light together. The lights began to change yet again, as the figures were a tad older, riding a two-seated bicycle across the light steam. Then, finally, the figures were tall and thin, showing them as they were now. The Anna made of light extended a hand and they began to dance, twirling through the sky. The lights thinned down, back to their steams, but shining just as bright.

"I hope you like it," Anna said awkwardly.

"It was beautiful," Elsa said.

"I thought so too, second most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Anna agreed.

"Second?" Elsa asked. Anna only wiggled her eyebrows before leaning in to give Elsa a kiss on the cheek. Elsa's hand touched the spot where Anna's lips had just been, blushing harder than she ever had. She looked down to see Kristoff turn to face them. He gave her a thumbs up before mouthing something along the lines of 'Now's your chance, frosty.' As he disappeared into the crowd again, Elsa turned to face her sister completely. She grabbed Anna's hands and pulled her in close, smacking their lips together.

It was the warmest thing she'd ever felt. Between the heat on her cheeks and Anna's arms wrapping around her waist, she was ready to collapse. Instead though her wrist allowed a small motion. In the distance there was a sound as small crystals shot into the air, just above the lights, more lights had appeared. Loud booms filled the air as the crystals bursted into icy fireworks. The patterns in the sky shaped to form snowflakes, the biggest snowflakes the world would ever see.

Elsa released Anna's lips, resting their noses together.

"I love you," Anna said, nearly a whisper.

"I love you too," Elsa smiled.

"No, like, I love you," Anna said nervously. "Like, love love."

Elsa let out a small chuckle before replying, "I love love you too."

"Oh," Anna's eyes widened before her lips created a grin. "Ohh."

The sisters turned to watch Elsa's fireworks in motion. The exploding rockets turning to snow flurries drifting to the ground. Anna stayed close to her sister, wrapping their fingers together.

"So, how are we going to announce this little, really big thing?" Anna asked.

"You let me handle that, just enjoy this for now," Elsa said, holding her hand tightly.

For when the icicles stopped booming, when the band melted away, when the ice sculptures were broken down bit by bit, and the nutcrackers dissolved into the sea, there would be two girls wound up tightly together in a mess of blankets. And when the elders passed their secrets to the young children, and when the sky blessed them all with gifts, there would still be a hint of magic in every snowman. When the new monarchs came to be and even when Arendelle met it's eventual fall, there would still be snow to let the new elders remember, to remember little slivers of this night. Even when the Earth turned to nothing, and no one was left to remember, there would still be sisters dancing in the sky.

Even when there was no sky, no blue to be seen, no shooting stars to wish upon, no autumn leaves to dance in, there would still be love.

To be continued.


	5. King Elsa

Woo! Thanks so much for all the support! - H

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A lot of the visitors from other kingdoms had stayed for the course of the holidays. Arendelle's economy was picking back up purely on the travelers. Most were headed out on New Year's Eve, some headed to Corona to see the non-magical but still pretty fireworks. Others headed home. Some stayed to see if Elsa had any other magic to bless the sky.

She instead had visitors.

Her bedroom door shook with the weight of what sounded like a large hand. Olaf had immediately scampered over, looking through the keyhole. His gaze met an odd green tunic. Slightly torn, definitely old, but still good.

"Who is it, Olaf?" Elsa whispered from her desk.

Olaf turned back to her, lifting his stick high in the air and standing on his toes, signaling a tall person. He then put himself back down to his toes, holding some of the snow on the back of his head back, pretending they were pigtails. He twisted his 'ankle' and batted his eyelashes, signalling a pretty girl.

"Kristoff?" Elsa called out the door.

"Yeah," Kristoff replied.

"And Anna?" Elsa asked.

"Yep!" the younger girl replied.

Elsa waved for Olaf to let them in and he did. He backed up, smiling wide.

"Hey guys!" Olaf jumped.

"Olaf," Kristoff nodded in his direction.

"Hey Olaf," Anna patted the snowman on the head. Elsa flicked her wrist to send a gust of wind to shut the door behind them. She stayed focused on her paperwork that sat at her desk.

"You even take your work to your room?" Anna whined.

"Yes," Elsa said. "It's where I come to not be disturbed," Elsa smirked.

"We're not disturbing," Anna argued with a high-pitch voice.

"Oh really?" Elsa asked, looking over at her disturbances. "My unfinished paperwork would disagree."

"Yes, well, our unanswered New Year's party invitations will gladly argue with your paperwork," Anna said, putting a foot forward.

"We had a Christmas party," Elsa said, looking down and signing another piece of paper.

"Yes, a Christmas party. As in a party that happened on Christmas, not New Year's. Do we have some kind of one party a year limit now?"

Elsa sighed, reclining backwards. Her eyes looked to the ceiling, knowing she wouldn't get anything done.

"Come on, Els. Corona has fireworks, Ragus Hsur is having a fudge eating contest. We've never gotten to leave the kingdom before!"

"Anna," Elsa sighed, bringing her hands over her tired eyes. Anna looked to Kristoff, nudging his shoulder. The blonde man sighed, finally being dragged back in between the two of them.

"If one of you brings me a map, I can show you a part of our shoreline where you can see Corona's fireworks. Their queen seems to be fascinated with anything glowing in the sky, she goes nuts with the fireworks every year. Also, the candy shop in the village has their fudge half price. How about you guys go down to the beach, take some blankets, you won't have to leave for a few more hours and Anna can pick up the fudge so Elsa can finish her papers. Sound good? Yes? Good."

Elsa's hands slid down her face. She thought about the man's plan for a moment.

"Fireworks? Oh, I love fireworks!" Olaf said happily.

"Well then, you can come with me and Sven up to the mountains, we'll be watching them up there," Kristoff said. Elsa and Anna only looked at various parts of the walls and ceiling, both in deep thought.

"And as it seems we've entirely lost the girls to some weird day dream, we can head out now," Kristoff said, watching the two in a daze. Olaf jumped excitedly before scampering out the door. Kristoff took one glance between each of the far off sisters.

"Good-bye?" Kristoff shrugged, waving slightly.

"Huh? Oh, good bye," Anna said, waving.

"So long, Kristoff," Elsa said, her words empty as her mind was elsewhere.

"Your majesties," Kristoff used the term lightly, taking Olaf with him and leaving.

"Elsa, do you want to - I mean, his plan was really great. We can go to the beach, see the fireworks, have some chocolate!" Anna wiggled in excitement.

"It sounds lovely, dear."

"Wow, you sound totally excited, Els," Anna rolled her eyes, letting sarcasm drip between her teeth.

"I'm just tired," Elsa explained, rubbing the bags under her eyes. "It really does sound lovely."

Anna's shoulder's slumped. She walked over to the queen as the older of the two resumed her paperwork. Anna decided on one more little distraction, leaning down and giving the queen a kiss on the cheek. Elsa smiled gently, looking back over to her younger half. Anna then kissed Elsa ever so softly on the lips.

"May I have another?" Elsa smirked.

"If you manage not to fall asleep on the beach tonight, yes," Anna giggled, standing up straight. "Oh, damn, I should have grabbed that map for Kristoff."

"Don't worry, I'll guide the way," Elsa reassured her.

"Excellent! I'll go to the candy shoppe, you finish your horrid work-stuff and I'll come back by and get you," Anna said excitedly, as full of energy as always. The older girl barely had a second to breathe, let alone reply. Anna quickly kissed the silver locks of hair, yelling something along the lines of 'Love ya, Els!' before running out the bedroom door. Elsa only chuckled, smiling down at her horrid work-stuff.

"Love you too," Elsa whispered into the air. Anna was already halfway out the castle as Elsa flipped through various piles of paperwork. The sky began to darken as night crawled over Arendelle. Elsa felt her eyes growing heavier and heavier. Covering her mouth to hide a yawn from non-existent eyes, she only had one thought.

This could not end well.

Anna had skipped to the candy shoppe and had made it all the way back. If anything, she had more energy upon returning than when she left. She had found Kristoff steadying a saddle on Sven and Olaf rambling on about fireworks. She lit a bright smile for them, stopping to say hello.

"Elsa isn't with you?" Kristoff asked.

"Not yet," Anna shook her head. "Hey, small favor?"

"Does it relate in any-way-shape or form to your love life and or your sister?"

"Nope and nope."

"Alright, then, how can I be of assistance?"

"Help me with my hair?"

"Your hair looks fine."

"I don't want it to look fine!" Anna whined. "My hair needs to look great, amazing, spectacular!"

"Fine, I'll help," Kristoff said.

"Thank you!" Anna yelped, hugging the man's large chest. He let a small smile creep on his face before following her inside. They made it all the way to her chambers, Olaf tagging behind. She immediately grabbed one of her favorite dresses. It was a dark blue with tracings of reds and purples. She hopped into her bathroom and back out again in full, fresh, clean dress in no time at all. She slid onto her small bench that sat in front of her vanity.

She popped a few bobby pins in between her teeth and her fingers went to work, staring hard into the mirror.

"When does me helping come in here?"

"Soon, I just need you to tell me if I look good or great," Anna half-said through gritted teeth. Kristoff only nodded, happy to assist by doing nothing. Olaf sat on the floor, the two began discussing their plans for the evening. About ten minutes passed and Anna threw her hands in the air. She had blown through her make-up and hair.

She turned, standing up to face her friends. She had her hair pulled into a simple bun, her hair clip had been donned with a few left over pieces of misletoe from the previous party. Her eyes were traced with a dark eye liner. Her lips coated in a light red lipstick. She smiled, twirling her dress.

"I know it was a bit of a quick job but I only had a bit of time and you know," Anna rolled her wrist.

"You look great," Kristoff said.

"Amazing," Olaf agreed.

"Sven would even say spectacular."

"He would say that!" Olaf agreed again.

"Thanks boys, now to just slide on my shoes and get frost-bite away from her desk and we're all set!"

"You get your shoes on. Olaf and I will take care of frosty," Kristoff said, slapping his palms to his knees before standing.

"Thank you," Anna said.

"No problem, Olaf wanted to grab his spare nose before we headed into the mountains anyway," Kristoff explained.

"Smart idea," Anna agreed, digging through her shoe boxes.

One knock. Two knocks. Three knocks to complete the set. No reply.

"Elsa?" Kristoff called through the door. Still nothing. Olaf tried instead, smacking his twig against the door.

"Elsa?" Olaf called. Still nothing. The snowman stood on his toes, looking through the keyhole. He saw a slumped over figure glowing in the moonlight. It was Elsa, fast asleep at her desk.

"She's asleep," Olaf said.

"La-la-la!" The boys heard Anna dancing down the hall, singing all the way.

"Anna's coming," Kristoff said with wide-eyes.

"She's going to be absolutely crushed when Elsa won't come out of her room!" Olaf said excitedly. Kristoff only stared down at him, the snowman immediately frowned.

"Oh," Olaf said. The two nodded at each other before turning, banging on the door rapidly, screaming for Elsa. They heard Anna's voice grow louder and immediately stopped, standing straight, arms folded behind their backs. Anna came around the corner, skipping down to them, eyeing them curiously.

"Is she in there?" Anna asked.

"Uh," Kristoff paused. "I'm not sure, we were waiting for you," Kristoff said. "Figured we might as well let you do the honors." Anna shrugged, knocking on the door. Kristoff and Olaf only frowned toward each other.

"Elsa!" Anna called. "Elsaaa!"

No reply whatsoever. The princess leaned down, looking through the keyhole, seeing the same sight Olaf did. The queen was fast asleep, nearly snoring. The princess backed up, leaning against one of the large panes of glass. She slid down against it, her chest struggling to match the rhythym of her breathing.

"Oh, Anna," Kristoff sighed. "Why don't you come up into the mountains with us, we can watch the fireworks, we can share some pastries," Kristoff said, careful not to mention the fudge.

Anna only sat with her lip bobbing, her chest heaving and her eyes dumping out water by the liter.

"Come on, Anna. You know she didn't mean to."

Anna did know, she knew that very well. She knew the queen was tired, she knew paperwork called. She nodded in agreement before standing. Kristoff lead the sniveling Anna and the snowman back down to a long bored and lonely Sven. Kristoff assisted the princess onto the reindeer's back before hoisting the snowman into her lap. He then carefully lifted himself up, holding the reigns.

"Princess Anna, where are you off to?" a guard asked.

"The mountains to watch Corona's fireworks," Anna replied.

"Shall we be seeing your return this evening?" the man asked, eyeing Kristoff suspiciously.

"Yes," Anna nodded.

The guard saluted before wishing them safe travels.

Anna still knew, she kept telling herself over and over that it was a mistake. She could even imagine Elsa fighting to keep her eyes open. She could imagine the queen's cheek sliding against her palm, her chin sliding to rest on her forearm. The princess sighed, watching the city pass them as they made their way towards the mountains.

What she didn't know however, was that a familiar stranger was hot on their tail. Skating on nonexistant ice, a figure was nothing but a blur to passing tourists and residents. The blur had jolted awake and noticed the moon shining. The blur startled multiple guards, nearly knocking them off their feet to demand the location of the trio.

The blur kept repeating the same three words, over and over.

"I'm so sorry."

The others had made it to the outskirts of the city itself. Trees began to populate their vision and Kristoff prepared to make the hike. Hoping off Sven to make it easier on the reindeer, he grabbed the reigns once more and patted the animal's nose. He walked along side his life-long friend. He was only one or two steps farther when he heard a loud bird-call.

The man glanced upwards, seeing the bird circling around them. It was pure white with gorgeous blue eyes.

"What kind of bird do you think that is?" Kristoff managed to ask before the strangest of things happened. The bird stopped its circular pattern of flight, chosing one position and spreading its wings wide. It flapped its wings twice, gaining a bit of height before bursting into a thousand snowflakes, putting out a huge display. Kristoff and Anna shook themselves free of the flurries, staring at each other, then staring at the incoming stranger.

The stranger was coming at full speed, getting closer and closer. Kristoff stepped forward, ready to clobber whoever it was. They weren't slowing down, though. Finally, they were only moments away from smacking into Kristoff when they turned hard, stopping just in time. Kristoff had some extra snow to dust off his boots, but was happy with the other results. He stared at the stranger.

They were tall, definitely, and thin. They wore the type of coats that the guards did. This coat however was a dark grayish-blue. It had fine black buttons all up the front, each detailed with a silver snowflake. They were wearing light gray wool or cotton pants. They had on large, black boots with straps all up the sides. Their face was hidden in a large black hood.

"This just keeps getting more and more strange," Kristoff shook his head, deciding not to greet the person. Anna, however, hopped off the reindeer. She walked slowly toward the figure, trying to make out features in the shadow. The figure replied by leaning down and kissing Anna square on the lips. Anna fidgeted but it was brief and sweet.

Kristoff was ready to punch the mystery man. "Hey, I'll have you know that I have special orders from Queen Elsa to take care of this young lady at all costs, buddy," Kristoff said, puffing up his chest.

"Yeah, and I'm a master in Kung-Fu!" Olaf called from his comfy place on Sven's back.

"Oh, really?" the figure asked, dropping its hood. Elsa grinned at the two.

"I really should have seen that coming."

"Who else would skate on pavement and have sent a hawk to find you entirely made of snow?" Elsa asked.

"You have a point," Kristoff agreed.

"Speaking of points," Elsa sighed. "I came because if Anna and I take off now, we can still make it to the beach in time to watch the fireworks."

"Really?" Anna asked, smiling.

"Really," Elsa nodded.

"Touching, adorable, can't wait to hear how your night ends up. Now if you'll excuse me, if I don't head up this mountain now, I'll be missing the fireworks," Kristoff said, beginning to climb onto Sven's saddle.

"Sorry Kristoff, thanks for the invite!" Anna called as the man dug his heel into the reindeer's side, they took off into the woods without another word.

"I have a feeling we're getting on his nerves," Elsa sighed.

"He's free of us for the evening at least."

"True. I'm sorry for nearly missing it," Elsa said, beginning to walk alongside her sister. Luckily the shoreline wasn't far and once they hit it, the golden spot wasn't much farther from there.

"You came, that's all that matters. Plus, you came in such a handsome outfit."

"I thought maybe if anyone saw us, I could pretend to be a prince seeking your hand in marriage."

Anna immediately snorted. "Oh? You'd like to marry me, King Elsa?"

Elsa's face turned every hue of red in the spectrum.

"I was a bit pressed for time and I needed some form of cover in case someone sees us."

"We're just sisters out to see the fireworks, Elsa. Besides, I think you look great."  
"Thank you."

"And I'd definitely marry you."

"What?"

"Nothing!" Anna giggled, taking off toward the shoreline.

"Get back here and tell me what you just said!"

"You'll have to catch me, King Elsa!"

"Anna!"

The older sister chased her all the way to the beach and then some. Anna had only stopped for a breath when she saw the distant flames of Corona's celebration. She could hear the pops, sizzles, and booms of fireworks. She let out a few more giggles before Elsa caught up.

"They're beautiful," Anna said, gazing up at the blazing sky. Elsa looked around at the beach, she saw no signs of other life. The tides were gentle, they lacked the foam they needed to be diagnosed with rabies, but crawled toward them enough to worry about catching a cold. There were various pieces of driftwood about but other than that the beach was clean.

Elsa didn't pay attention to the beach for very long, however. For the first time in forever, she had no distractions. She had no obligations what-so-ever. All she had was the sand, the sky, and her sisters. No one else was around, no small talk to be made, no nations to battle with. She let out a happy sigh as Anna slowly sank to the ground, sitting in the sand. Elsa followed her, sitting behind her, wrapping her arms around the younger girl's waist. Anna sank back, collapsing into Elsa's body. Elsa kissed Anna's forhead before looking up at the sky.

"What was that you said?" Elsa asked.

"Huh?" Anna looked up at her curiously.

"Earlier, you said something before you ran off."

Anna's face burned as bright as the fireworks did.

"I said I'd definitely marry you."

"Would you really?"

"Yes."

"Even though it's taboo and no one will support us?"

"Kristoff, Sven and Olaf do!"

"That's not what I mean."

"I know. The rest don't matter. Even if our friends didn't support us, does anyone else have to? I love you and you love me. So why not?"

"These people will give a dozen reasons as to why not."

"They also gave a dozen reasons as to why a baker's dozen should have its name changed. Let them complain. You're the queen, it's out of their hands."

"It's not that simple, Anna."

"Of course it is. It's as simple as you being in love. Besides, did you forget about Alternative 87?"

"I did, actually. How did you know about that?"

"Father told me it may come in handy one day. I think it'll help us greatly."

"It'll at least buy us some time to plan a little more carefully."

"And worse comes to worst, you're a great liar. Everything will work out perfectly."

"I hope so."

"Now, stop being such a downer and watch the fireworks."

Anna wiggled, burrowing back into her comfortable place in Elsa's lap. Anna sat watching the fireworks burst as Elsa's brain set in motion. She could use Alternative 87 to take Anna as her king without the need for marriage. It was originally created for siblings in situations such as theirs, forced to rule at a young age. They could use it, however, to rule side by side, hand in hand, for the rest of their lives. They may not have grown up together, but Elsa would see to it that they could grow old together.

To be continued


	6. Believe

I wasn't entirely happy with Chapter 5...hopefully this one picks the story back up a bit!

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Anna's eyes blinked once, twice.

It felt like waking up the same way she had days before, on Elsa's day out. Her groggy eyes began to open slowly. She let a yawn escape her mouth, feeling her jaw rub against the rough fabric of Elsa's coat. She tilted her head upward, seeing the queen fast asleep with her hood covering her face. That was probably a good idea with the sun beating down on them like it was.

The sun?! Anna bolted upwards, her head jerking in every direction. Seagulls could be heard above her, catching the gentle breeze. The tides were soft still, reaching toward her with gentle fingers. The sand was soft and cool beneath her palms.

"We fell asleep on the beach," Anna said quietly to herself. Every guard in Arendelle would be searching for them. Poor Kristoff was probably awoken this morning by his door being kicked in.

"Princess Anna!" She heard a voice behind her. The princess turned around, seeing their Captain of the Guard, Valor, running toward her. The man was followed by two of his peers. Anna only raised a hand to wiggle her fingers. Her eye twitched as she looked down, seeing the sleeping queen begin to stir.

"We've got company," Anna whispered. Elsa jolted up, her gloved hands knocking sand around her. The queen scrambled to her feet, standing just as the guards arrived. Valor was breathing heavily, a spear pointed at the mystery figure's chest.

"Princess Anna, a search party has been looking everywhere for you and your sister. Has this man kidnapped you? And what has he done with your sister?"

"Man?" Anna arched an eyebrow. Looking over to her older sister, she realized Elsa's last minute plan had worked. Elsa was now a prince in disguise.

"No, no, he's perfectly harmless," Anna put her hands up to her chest defensively. She stepped toward Valor. "Please, don't threaten him."

"After what happened between you and Hans, I don't particularly think Queen Elsa would be thrilled to find you off on a beach, sleeping with some stranger!"

"He's not a stranger!" Anna yelled. "I'll have you know this stranger is the love of my life. This stranger may not have been around for most of it, but that doesn't mean I don't know he-him! We can't question what's behind closed doors, we only have to trust it's for our best."

Valor looked at the princess, in awe of her bravery. He looked back to the figure dressed in blue, lowering his spear and standing tall.

"Why isn't he speaking?"

"He's scared," Anna reassured him. She stepped over, grabbing the figure's hand. Now noticing the heavy breathing from her love, she sighed. "How would you feel, having a spear pointed at you first thing in the morning?"

"My apologies," Valor bowed. "Where is Queen Elsa, then?"

"She's probably in the city, visiting the townspeople, I don't know. She's a very busy woman."

"You're right, princess. I apologize again to you and your prince."

"Apology accepted. Now, please, leave us be? I'll be home soon."

"Yes, your majesty." Valor bowed, as did his men. He turned and his men followed. Anna waited until they were out of hearing range to speak again.

"That was close," Anna chuckled nervously. "Looks like you make a pretty great prince after all."

Anna turned, staring at the still silent queen. She reached up, knocking the hood off of her sister. The queen's eyes were glossed over in tears. Anna's face fell to a frown. She stood on her toes, kissing Elsa on the cheek.

"Elsa, we're okay, you're okay. No one knows a thing."

"That was far too close, Anna," Elsa said, shaking her head. "What if they would have figured me out?"

"Valor? He's smart and all but who would even suspect it? After all, we'll just announce our little plan and we'll be safe for now."

"We're not safe, Anna. Not if we keep slipping up like this. Can you imagine the angry mob coming after me?"

"Hey! I'm just as corrupt here as you are, I want my share of pitchforks and torches."

"How can you be so positive about this?"

"How can you be so negative? What do you want me to do, Elsa?" She asked, letting go of the queen's hand. "Do you want us both to watch each other get married to the first prince that doesn't seem like a coniving brat? Do you want me to sit by, watching you rule with some idiot who will never see how beautiful you really are? No one else is going to notice the way your lips curl when you read a good book. No one else will hear the way you sing in the shower when you think no one is listening. No one else will know that while you tell absolutely everyone that tulips are your favorite flowers, you love lillies. I've seen the way you stare at them in the pond, the way you brush your finger tips over the water. No one else will even try to figure out where you're most ticklish. No one else will watch the way your hair shines in the moon. The way the stars call their fallen brothers back home. I know these things because I've looked for them, everyday. Everyday since you've returned, I've found every piece of you I can, and I know there are a thousand more laying around. I'm not going to let us both sit at the dinner table, listening to some big brutes fawn over us. Not when they don't mean it, Elsa. They don't mean it like I mean it. And I will know for as long as I live, that they won't mean it like you do."

Anna took a deep breath, relaxing and finally looking at the queen's face. Elsa's tears had begun rolling down her cheeks. Anna felt a cool gust of wind against her back and she knew that the weather would begin to pick up again.

"Feel something, Elsa. I know you can. Put logic and laws aside for ten little seconds and feel with me. Feel like you did last night, watching the fireworks. Feel like you did every night before. Please, Elsa. Don't shut me out again."

"Anna," Elsa started, her head falling. "You have to realize what this could mean. You have to realize that beyong the Alternative there's no hope for us. Even with that, we're stuck having to hide every little smile, every date, every kiss. I know you're not okay with that. I know you want more than what I can give you."

"Forget the alternative then," Anna said, frustrated. She slowly sank down, one knee to the ground. She looked up, grabbing Elsa's hand. "Marry me, Elsa."

Elsa's lip trembled, knowing her answer could be the last words she ever said to her sister. She closed her eyes. The sun grew a beard of clouds and soon the sky was growing dark. Shards of hale began to hit the sand around them.

"Elsa."

"I can't, Anna, I'm sorry."

Anna stood, her rage now overpowering her heartbreak. The younger sister's tears clouded her vision just as her anger clouded her judgement.

"Fine!" Anna yelled. The hale came down heavier and heavier. The trees behind them began to shake in the harsh wind.

"Anna, it's not fair to put this on my shoulders!"

"It wasn't fair for you to pretend you'd make this work!" Anna snapped, turning away. As Anna stormed off into the nearby woods, Elsa only stood trembling. The great Snow-Queen of Arendelle had been turned to Anna's prince in disguise. Elsa now felt though, that she was not worthy of either of those titles.

The queen fell to her knees in the sand, letting herself be battered by her own hale.

The princess and the queen both turned to fools in their own court.

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Meanwhile, in the city, shops were closing. Shutters were slammed shut and doors were locked tight. The kingdom was growing used to Elsa's occasional storms. While she would grace them with beautiful snowfall, the queen would also inflict her rage upon the skies. After being dragged from his home half-awake, Kristoff has been allowed to remain in the castle with apologies from the guards. The blonde man stared out the window at the incoming storm.

"This can't be good," Kristoff shook his head.

He heard the loud stomping of boots coming down the hallway, followed by the sound of the hallway's walls being frozen in ice.

"Well, there's Elsa," Kristoff said to Sven who had taken residence, resting in the corner.

"Do you think she's angry, Olaf?" Kristoff asked.

Olaf, who was not the brightest of snowmen, still had the best answer. The snowman looked out at the hale, shaking his head.

"She's scared or sad, or both. Both is good."

"Good isn't the way I'd phrase it, but I think you're right. If Elsa is here then Anna must be out there somewhere."

Sven only shook his head, the man knew what that meant.

"This one isn't our fight, pal, you're right."

"I just hope Anna is okay out there," Olaf sighed, his cloud turning a darker gray.

"She will be."

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Anna was alright, physically. She could feel bits of the storm hit her through the heavy forest. She had no idea where she was going but she would get there without Elsa or her stupid rules. Anna stomped through the forest, snapping every twig that met her boot.

"Wrong, how can love be wrong?! Oh, Anna, come kiss me and love me. Anna lets rule side by side! Anna lets kiss and let me put up a clever fireworks display to distract everyone! Anna, no, this is wrong. Anna, wait, lets talk everything through! Anna, no I can't marry you!"

Anna sniffled as her heartbreak wormed it's way back to being her primary feeling. She wasn't sure what to do. She refused to watch Elsa take on some other king. She refused to allow someone to take her Elsa away from her. She had so much hope and Elsa fed it. Her hope turned to a big, ugly monster of greed.

"I know I put a lot on her," Anna admitted to the breeze between the trees. "But she's Elsa. She's the winter storm that brings ships to a halt. She's stronger than a hundred men."

"Sheesh, you sure have a lot of problems," a voice said.

"Huh?" Anna stopped dead in her tracks, looking around the woods.

"I said, you have a lot of problems," the voice repeated itself.

"Who's there?"

"Me," the voice said. A rock twitched and trembled until a troll stood at her feet.

"Onk?" Anna asked.

"That's me," the troll bowed.

"What are you doing out here?"

"The hot spring is just through those trees, I was out wandering when I heard you beating up the forest and decided to listen to your little problem."

"My big problem," Anna corrected.

"Right. Well, it sounds like you need help."

"Can you help me?"

"No, but the elders can. They've heard word of your situation."

"From Kristoff?"

"No, from the sky. The ancients have been whispering tales of you and the queen."

"What have they said?"

"From the mountains, an avalanche decended. From there, the flurries grew red. Not with rage but with flustered passion. The autumn winds have clashed with winter storm. There are those who are given the weight of the world as a punishment and those who are given the gift of strength to bare it. The one with strength feels punished but is blessed with undying love."

"What is that supposed to mean exactly?"

"No idea," Onk shrugged. "Why don't you ask the elders?"

"Can you take me to them?"

"Sure, I've got nothing else to do. Right this way, Princess Problem."

Anna wiped her face clear of her tears, following the strange little troll. The hot spring wasn't far, just as he said. They made their way down a fallen tree's trunk, their feet hitting the stone.

"Now say this," Onk said, waving for the princess to lean down to him. She did and he whispered in her ear. The other trolls sat about, staring at the princess in awe.

"Uh. I'd like to call upon the elders," she said, the trees beginning to shake and the hot spring shooting steam from its core. "Those with eyes who see stars, and I think the wisdom of a thousand men."

Anna looked down at Onk who gave her a thumbs up.

"My quest is noble, it is of love. Please show me the light that the dark is afraid of."

The hot spring began to tremble as a few of the geysers errupted with steam. From seven of the geysers, small rocks jumped out, transforming in the air. Seven trolls landed on their feet, most standing tall. They had cracks all throughout their bodies and faces. Some wore odd headdresses. Others wore necklesses with various teeth attached.

One of the trolls stepped forth, Anna recognizing him as the one who said the chant on Christmas. His elder bretheren gathered beside him, standing in a line. The troll eyed her curiously, leaning on his cane.

"We have been waiting for you, Princess Anna of Arendelle. Since the Christmas celebration, we have known you would need the guidance of the stars."

"It's not me, it's Elsa. She won't listen to me."

The elder put up his free hand to stop her. "Your sister is afraid, as most young lovers are. The world is not yet aware of your love and she fears what will happen when they are."

"What are we going to do?"

"I am wise, young one," the troll smiled. "However I do not know the future. I know that this storm comes from your words. You have relied on love to cure all things. However when love is your problem, it cannot be it's own cure."

"Sure it can," Anna said. "I love Elsa, there has to be a way to make it work."

"There is, but you must work together. When the world turns against you, you must be able to stand with love alone. You must be brave, not alone, but together."

"Elsa is strong, why is she afraid?"

"Your sister is the one the sky speaks of. Some are given the weight of the world as a punishment. The sky, however, knew it was inevitable for her to end this way. They blessed her with strength but she fears using it."

"You mean her powers?"

"No, child. I mean your sister is strong alone without the power of the frost. She is clever with a strong heart. She rules alone and solves the world's problems with only her wit to guide her. In this case, your sister's bravery has withered away. Her strength has been worn down by her time as queen."

"I'll be strong for her, for both of us."

"No again, child. Your sister must find her own strength to stand. She must be able to stand against her kingdom and against the world. This is a battle that cannot be won by your force. She must do it on her own."

"There must be a way I can help."

"Believe."

The trolls last word echoed as he and his bretheren soon disappeared in a flash of light. Anna looked down to Onk who only shrugged.

"You have your answer."

"But I don't understand it."

"You will, hopefully."

"Hopefully?"

"Yeah, hopefully."

That one word echoed through her ears. Even on her way back to Arendelle. With mud filling her shoes and her dress torn to shreds at the bottom, she only focused on that one word.

Believe.

To be continued.


	7. Let Them Come

By the time Anna had made her way to the city, the hale was easing up. She made her way down the empty streets, her eyes focused on the ground. She wouldn't dare look toward the castle. It'd only strike her nerves. She thought only of what to say, what to do. How to apologize to Elsa. She'd lost her temper and that wasn't fair. She was starting to feel the full weight of the situation. As she glanced over at the various shops and homes, she imagined the families huddled together. She imagined them holding one another, young siblings playing games. She only thought that she could have had that.

She could have been laying in Elsa's bed, having tickle fights, listening to Elsa drone on about politics. She could have been peppering the older sister's cheeks with kisses. She could have been safe in Elsa's arms. Instead she was cold, wet, and she looked like she'd been dragged through a sewer. Her mud-filled shoes made squishing noises against the pavement as she began to sniffle.

She loved her sister and had she of only been patient, had she of only tried to work things out, she would be with her.

She blamed everything on Elsa, but it wasn't her fault. It wasn't Elsa's fault the world was cruel. Elsa was trying to protect them both.

Anna finally looked to the castle in the horizon. She could imagine Elsa all alone, scared and hurt. She knew that should she fall asleep, Elsa would wake the next day and put it all under a mask. Elsa would stand tall, chin up, and speak to everyone with her usual, calm demeanor.

Anna's words rang true, in a sense.

No one would know Elsa like Anna did.

No one would know what caused this storm.

Anna made her way through the city, her legs beginning to ache. She took her first step onto the drawbridge, the guards not speaking a word. They saw Anna's mangled dress, her messy hair. They saw her make-up dripping down to her chin. They saw her knees shake in weakness.

They knew there was nothing they could do. They wanted to jump to their positions, fighting whatever had done this to her. But they knew she was headed to a much safer place. They knew she was headed toward Elsa.

After a few dozen staircases, a few more hallways, Anna's legs were ready to leap for joy. She stood in front of the snowflake covered door, hearing the hale pound against the roof. Anna didn't knock this time. She spoke instead.

"Elsa," Anna said. Her throat started to clear. "I don't even know what to say. I mean, I thought about it, the whole way here. I just know that I was wrong. It's not that you aren't feeling anything, it's that you're feeling a lot, right? I know you're scared and I am too. I just wanted this to work so badly. I just wanted to be able to hold your hand and not worry about who sees it. Not that I worry anyway. I only worry about what it does to you, to your image or whatever. I know it matters to you, what they think of you. If it matters at all what I think of you, I love you, Els."

Anna spoke to the door that gave no reply. The halls were quiet except for her words. She leaned forward, resting a palm against the door.

"I'm cold and I'm tired and everything hurts, Elsa. I wish I had better words for you. But I can only say I'm sorry for putting so much on you. I guess I just, I believed you could handle it. I believed you'd know what to do. You're smarter than me. You're stronger than me. Stronger than anyone. You dealt with everything on your own, but this, we need to handle together."

Anna hadn't even paid any attention to her words. She didn't even realize that she had said just what she needed to. So consumed by the bags under her eyes and the aches of her ankles, she didn't even hear the hale stop pounding. The princess only slouched, turning away.

"Good night, Elsa."

Anna slumped off toward her room. She tossed her shoes into the corner, slathering the walls with mud. She slid her dress off and found comfortable clothing. She would worry about her horrid smell and her awful hair later. For now, she sat the misletoe in her hair on her nightstand, crawling into bed. Her aching muscles began to relax and soon she drifted off.

Dreaming of the sweet kisses on the beach the night before. Dreaming of her clever trick with the mistle toe to send a blushing queen toward her. Dreaming of the fireworks that gave her the best night of her life.

Dreaming of Elsa.

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Anna woke to the sound of trumpets the next day. The sun was shining bright through her window. The sky was clear and a beautiful blue accompanied a passing breeze. Anna slowly forced herself out of bed, looking out her window. The castle gates were open and most of the kingdom had come flocking in. Anna's tired eyes let her eyebrows raise.

Was she missing something important?

The princess hobbled over to the bathroom, stretching her arms. The view from the mirror was the most horrid thing she'd ever seen. She immediately turned the faucet of her tub, readying a hot bath. She grabbed a casual dress for the day, laying it out on her bed. She also layed out a pair of matching shoes.

She slid herself into the tub, her toes wiggling free of their mud. She scrubbed at her make-up stained cheeks. Washing her hair and making herself presentable. Once the tub was drained, the princess pulled her hair into its usual bun.

"I guess I should see what all the fuss is about," Anna said to herself. She didn't want to leave her room. She wanted to sleep her day away without having to face anyone. She slid into her dress, sliding her shoes onto her feet.

With a deep breath, she opened her bedroom door. The entire castle was in an uproar. Servents were this way and that, all of them running. Guards were attempting to keep everyone calm but were obviously failing. Anna looked around, obviously confused.

"Anna!" Kristoff called.

"Kristoff?" Anna looked over, seeing the man come along smiling. He had Olaf tagging along behind him.

"Good morning," the blonde said, nearly being slammed into by a maid.

"What's going on?"

"Elsa, apparently, has an announcement."

"What kind of announcement?"

"No one knows but the whole kingdom is here to hear about it."

"Olaf," Anna eyed the snowman. "Do you have any idea?"

"Nope!" Olaf clapped.

"He stayed with me in a guest room. No one but a select few have seen Elsa this morning. But, considering the storm has stopped, I'm assuming she's in a better mood," Kristoff said.

"I did apologize, sort of."

"Princess Anna! Royal Ice Harvester Kristoff!" Valor came to them, bowing to the two. He was responded to by a cough. The man rolled his eyes, "And Royal Summer Snowman, Olaf."

"That's me!" Olaf clapped again.

"Your presence is requested by Queen Elsa in the castle courtyard. Her announcement is about to be, well, announced."

"Thank you," Anna said. The man bowed again before taking his leave. Kristoff gestured for Anna to begin walking first. She hesitated but forced her knees to begin moving.

"This is gonna be great!" Olaf cheered.

"I hope so," Anna mumbled.

The closer they drew to the castle doors, the more Anna wanted to turn around and run. Whatever Elsa was planning had to be big. A thousand awful possibilites ran through her mind before she stopped herself. She trusted her sister. Her sister was smart, whatever this was, it was well thought out. Anna's hand touched the cool surface of the castle door's handle.

"Everyone's already outside," Kristoff said, peaking out the window.

"Is Elsa out there?"

"Yeah, she's right outside. I guess she's waiting for us."

Anna gulped, trying to reassure herself that her sister wouldn't do anything that would hurt them. She pulled the handle, peeking outside. The entire kingdom was stuffed in the courtyard, all of them talking and gossipping. Even the left over travelers were staring in awe at the queen. Elsa turned around, smiling at her sister.

"I won't bite," Elsa said, gesturing for the girl to come outside. Anna came out slowly, followed by Kristoff and Olaf who stood next to Valor off to their left. Anna stood next to her sister, staring down at their subjects.

"Alternative," Elsa whispered.

"Really?" Anna whispered back excitedly.

"Really."

The queen stepped forward, one hand raised. She cleared her throat before addressing her people.

"People of Arendelle."

That phrase made all the chatter dwindle down. The queen stood straight, taking a deep breath. Anna stepped beside her.

"I know that recent gossip has questioned who will rule beside me as King. Our neighboring kingdoms have sent many suitors, many hoping to claim the other throne of Arendelle. I have called you here today to put an end to those rumors."

Elsa looked over to Anna. Just as Anna could see the small details of Elsa, Elsa could do the same for Anna. Anna had perked up a smile across her freckles. Her eyes, however, held a hint of sadness. Elsa thought back to the previous night. She thought back to hearing Anna's words. She thought about every word Anna spoke. She knew that somewhere in there, Anna was right. No one would ever love them like they did each other.

"I have made a decision," Elsa quickly went back to her speech. Elsa paused as words rang through her ears.

Do you want to build a snowman?

Elsa shook her head, trying to keep her demeanor. But more and more words flowed through.

You're stronger than I am, Elsa.

I love you, Els.

All the wishes in the world came to you, Elsa.

Elsa closed her eyes. All the wishes of all of Arendelle came to her.

Only one mattered.

"My hand will be taken in marriage," Elsa finally said.

Anna's head immediately shot in her direction. Kristoff's jaw dropped. Olaf only wiggled his body, once again shouting "Congratulations!"

Over the snoman's words, the common word shouted was "Who?! Who?!"

"My hand will be taken by Princess Anna of Arendelle."

The entire crowd was in an uproar. Fear welled in Elsa's stomach. She could practically see them now with pitchforks in hand. She could see her humble citizens turned to wild beasts.

"But why! What kind of spell have you put on that poor girl?!"

"What an abomination!"

"It's that curse! It has both of them!"

Elsa began to step backward, watching the kingdom crumble under her words. Anna, however, stepped forward.

"It's no curse! It's not because of a spell. It's because I love her!"

The shouts began to die down as Anna stood in front of Elsa defensively.

"I love her," Anna began pleading. "Please, leave us be and we'll leave you be. There's no need for anger and fuss. Queen Elsa has been faithful to all of you. She's kept strong for you, she's supported a kingdom most would leave for dead. She's helped you all, every one of you, she's listened to your cries for help. Now please, listen to hers."

The crowd began to look at each other, not sure of what to do. Most didn't speak out of awe and confusion. Others didn't speak out of fear of Elsa's magic.

"I believe in Queen Elsa!" Anna shouted.

"I believe too!" Kristoff joined her, stepping forth to stand beside her.

"I believe!" Olaf chimed in, joining them both. The crowd stood silent, still unsure.

"I believe in Queen Elsa," Valor said hesitantly. A moment of silence passed once more. Feeling defeated, Anna nearly turned away, ready to face the oncoming mob.

"I believe in Queen Elsa too!" A little girl in the crowd stepped forward, being pulled back by her parents. The girl's brother stepped forth. "Queen Elsa made me this crutch out of ice so I can walk real well, I believe in her." Gasps and whispers filled the air. The people looked to one another, wondering who would speak up.

"Queen Elsa saved my bakery from going out of business," A portly man stepped forward. "I believe in Queen Elsa."

"Queen Elsa made me a pretty dress so's I could get adopted! She even made me a lil' snowman to be my brother," a little girl called up, holding the hand of an odd little snowman. Her adopted parents put their hands to her shoulders, both calling out, "We believe in Queen Elsa!"

"Queen Elsa brought the best darn ice harvest we've ever seen!" A large, muscular man shouted, raising his fist. "I believe in Queen Elsa!"

"My mother was ill, Queen Elsa sent her best men over the lands to find her medicine, I believe in Queen Elsa!"

"My son was lost in the wood, Elsa sent out dozens of snow-hawks and found him just in time! I believe in Queen Elsa"

More and more people shouted their stories. Days where Elsa had seen so many people, listened to their pleas. Days where she would collapse on her bed, exhausted. These little things she had done had changed and even saved lives. The kindness she had shared with her people was being returned, all of them echoing the same words :

"I believe in Queen Elsa!"

As Elsa came to light, thousands more echoed their cries. Everyone raising a hand to the sky, all of them believing. Anna grabbed the queen's hand, smiling gently at her.

"I believe in you and so do they."

"We all believe in Queen Elsa!" Kristoff shouted, gathering a wonderous shout from the crowd. A man stepped forward in robes. He raised his hand.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle," the man said. "I am Priest Yox of Corona. I have seen the strength of the love you share. I volunteer to perform the wedding ceremony."

"Don't you believe this to be sin?" Elsa asked, absolutely shocked.

"I do not judge sins, your majesty. I know what I believe to be right."

"Thank you," Elsa choked back her tears. Not of sadness or of fear, this time.

Instead, these tears, were of joy.

To be continued.


End file.
